Day 76: Big Bird, Elevation, Amish, Knight's Out

Day 76: Wednesday August 20th, 2014.
Sodus Point, NY to Pulaski, NY.  70.5 miles.

I awoke in the middle of the night and caught a glimpse of the stars in the clear night sky.  It was so impressive that I walked out into the grass and stared upward.  It reminded me of the stellar display I had seen once before on my trip in a remote place.

When I got up in the morning, the view of the lake from the deck I was camping on was spectacular.  It was difficult to do anything other than stare out at the blue of the lake and the sky.  The line across the horizon where the sky met the water seemed to be so sharply defined.

While taking in the view, I heard a neighbor speaking with excitement as she pointed in the direction of the lake.  She had spotted a group of adolescent bald eagles that had just landed in a few trees at the edge of the lake.  We watched them for a good 15-20 minutes as they would take off and glide along the shore, laboriously flapping their massive wings to stay aloft, before landing in another tree.  A few of them came precariously close to the campground, showing off their massive size, and their intimidating talons.

Inbetween bald eagle flights, I watched a deep-red cardinal dance along the fenceposts, and hop from tree limb to tree limb.  All of this excitement temporarily took away the growing concern I had over a sore throat that had been developing through the night.

I decided to get going, and as a routine while I am packing up, I check the weather report.  It had been sunny and cool over the past few days.  So, I wasn't too concerned, until I saw the forecast.  It seemed as though it came out of nowhere.  I was in for a wet day, not only today, but possibly for the next few days.

The early morning weather was fine.  I rode a few miles to the nearby town of Alton for breakfast.  Along the way, I passed the Sodus Bay and marina.

By the time I was done with breakfast, the clear skies were replaced by clouds and drizzle.  It only got worse throughout the day, and it rained consistently all day long.  I wasn't feeling great with my developing cold, and the rain wasn't helping.  On top of it all, ever since I left Chicago, I was riding through mostly flatlands.  My elevation change for the day was often somewhere around 400-500 feet, with an occasional day upwards of 1,600 feet.  Those days were over.  I was navigating through a landscape of glacial drumlins today, rolling hills essentially.  But, I was also approaching the Adirondacks, which would require more substantial climbs and sharper slopes.  My elevation climb for the day would end up being over 3,000 feet.

I passed several Amish homesteads, identifiable by the collection of buggys and horse carts out front.  They looked like peaceful places.  One of the farms had a roadside stand with fresh home-made cheeses as well as hand-made baskets.  I pulled across the road to check it out.  The father and son were out front talking with another customer.  They were both wearing straight-brimmed hats, brown pants with suspenders, and long-sleeve button-up shirts.  I wanted to try some of their cheese and talk with them, but it was raining, I wasn't feeling good, and I didn't want to interrupt the conversation that was already going on.  So, I pedaled on, hoping that I would run into another opportunity on a future day to meet the Amish.

I pedaled on towards the town of Fulton (pop. 12,536) for lunch.  Getting close, I saw a sign that had me thinking my weary state was getting the better of me.  Suddenly, I was daydreaming about a lunch consisting of a taco, enchilada, rice, and beans.

After lunch, I headed back into the rain, tired, wet, a little sluggish, and ready to get to my destination for the day of Pulaski, NY.  I still had quite a ways to go.  I arrived just before dark, and had Victoria working remotely to help me find lodging. For a small town with several cheap motels, it was suprising to find out that most everything was booked up, and what wasn't sold out, was $100/night.

I definitely needed a dry place indoors, and a bed to sleep in.  Finally, we found it - The Knight's Inn.  It was a dive, and the price was gouging.  In the lobby, I ran into a couple from Ontario.  They were in the States researching family history in nearby Syracuse, about 40 miles due South of Pulaski.  "What brought you to Pulaski?", I asked them.  They told me they couldn't get a room in Syracuse, or it was $350/night.  Apparently, the New York State Fair just started up in Syracuse, and students and their parents are also taking up hotel rooms as the Fall semester commences at the University there.  The lack of reasonable lodging has had ripple effects into the surrounding suburbs and outlying towns, including Pulaski.  And, the local lodging industry is taking advantage of it.

Walking across the street from the registration desk to my room located in the one-story roadside motel, I could hear and feel the water sloshing around inside my shoes.  Fortunately, the room had an air conditioner that I used to dry out the soggy shoes overnight.  I needed to do laundry, but the motel didn't have anything, and the town was devoid of a laundromat.  So, I would have to make due for one more day.